Linda Drye’s painting of the Southport Waterfront had everything we were looking for in the
cover. It is full of bright colors, movement, interest
and of course it captures the vibrancy of the waterfront. The magazine staff voted, and it was a
tough decision.
Linda is an Oak Island resident and a member
of the Associated Artists of Southport at Franklin
Square gallery. She is a painter and potter. She
said, “This me full of color and having fun. Painting and pottery are my life. The Southport painting
just hit me to starting doing it adding crazy paint
skins and color and the finished product I loved.
Hope you do to.” Linda says about her entry.
We had so many great entries and are not able
to include all of them, but some of our favorites
start on page 36.

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

CURRENTS
Connecting All Artists
Up Your Arts, a new non-profit raising the
art’s bar and much more
STORY BY BONNIE BRAY

I

t’s no secret to people who have lived in Southport or Oak Island
for any length of time the area has a thriving arts scene. Live music,
art galleries, community theatre, you name it, there is no shortage
of variety and no lack of enthusiastic supporters.
However, something that has been missing until now is a unifying vision of the
whole. A new non-profit group called Up
Your Arts seeks to add that perspective. Its
focus is not just performing arts, or visual
arts, or dramatic arts – UYA’s mission is to
create a network linking all of the above.
“There is so much happening that it’s
difficult to keep track of the big picture,”
UYA President Shannon Ballard said. “Established associations here do a terrific job
of supporting their individual members,
but the entire artistic experience can be
overwhelming without a guide.”
Not surprisingly, given her focus on organization, Ballard brings a background
in event planning to Up Your Arts. She is
joined on the board of directors by eight
other local residents, whose professional
experience spans a range of disciplines,
artistic and otherwise.
“Several members of the board play in
local bands now, but they come from careers in real estate, retail photography,
software security, and emergency medicine,” Ballard laughed.
“And we have a pottery instructor, who is
also a writer and trained vocalist; a former
sacred dancer, who is now a healing arts
educator; and an ‘A-list’ blues guitarist,
who makes, repairs, and teaches stringed
instruments. It’s quite the collection!”
What brought the group together last
fall was shared appreciation for the local
arts environment and a mutual desire for
sustaining its success. Founding board
member and UYA Creative Director John
Keiffer identified a variety of ways the
board is moving ahead toward that goal.
“Our first step was to create a digital
clearinghouse and calendar for artists and
musicians to advertise their work and post
their events,” Keiffer said. “We want our
media presence to be a one-stop shop for
all things art.”
Over 2,100 people have joined a relat-

ed Facebook group called Southport Area
Music & Arts that is administered by Up
Your Arts. It links to the UYA Facebook
page, which was inaugurated only recently. The website launched last month,
https://www.upyourarts.org, already has
weekly calendars of live music performances through the end of the year, with maps
and hyperlinks to venue websites, and information about upcoming events.
“Then we started working with the City
of Southport to bring back the outdoor
painting event it sponsored a few years
ago,” Keiffer continued. “At this point,
we are expecting to host at least 50 artists at our 2018 Southport Plein Air Festival
September 14-15. And, on August 4, we
are participating in a relatively new event
called Jam Rock, which celebrates Jamaica
Independence Day with Caribbean food
and reggae music on Dosher Cutoff, right
here at home.”
Yet to come, but eagerly anticipated, he
said, are public campaigns for arts-related
issues, outreach and partnerships with other non-profit and charitable organizations,
and tangible efforts to further entrepreneurial and educational projects through
grants and donations.
These and other ideas are envisioned in
the group’s mission statement (see sidebar), along with recognition of the group’s
close ties to the Southport Center, Brunswick Community College’s campus on

Lord Street. According to UYA Board Chair
Ken Schnedetz, many of the founding
members are either employed or have taken classes there, and all support its abundance of hands-on arts instruction.
“The college is at a crossroads now, with
funding to renovate the whole building
fully committed by the county and college
trustees,” Schnedetz said. “While construction to complete the second half of
the building forges ahead, Up Your Arts
strongly advocates the creation of spaces
that will expand the in-depth arts programming that is already succeeding there.”
Schnedetz met with Southport Center
Executive Director Barbara McFall and
City of Southport officials this spring for
a tour of the facility. Well known to local residents, the structure is the former
Brunswick County Training School, which
opened in 1921 and remained for thirty
years the only high school in Brunswick
County black students could attend.
“Our investment in the arts is inseparable from our investment in the community and its entire history, “ Schnedetz said.
“What is ‘art’ anyway, but a record? Our
feelings, our hopes, imagined in a way that
makes sense of what has come before. This
kind of expression is essential to our mental wellbeing. Celebrating its free reign is
critical to our collective health.”

THE BOARD:

Shannon Ballard
Shannon has over a decade of experience producing conferences, festivals and
other special events for organizations as
diverse as Microsoft and the Country Music Association. This experience led her to
Washington, DC, with an invitation to join
the planning and execution team for the
2009 presidential inauguration. Now a resident of Southport, Shannon devotes her
professional time to small business consulting. Her extensive organizational skills
and her lifetime passion for the arts make
her a critical asset to the success of Up
Your Arts.

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

Ken Schnedetz
After many years of visiting the Brunswick County coast, Ken relocated permanently last year from Charlotte, North
Carolina, to Oak Island, where he pursues
his lifelong passion as a singer, songwriter
and guitarist. Ken built a successful real estate firm in Charlotte, Shell Realty Services,
specializing in property management and
sales. He also has extensive knowledge
of contract negotiations and restaurant
brokerage. His musical talent is currently
on display at local performance venues,
where he also frequently hosts open mic
sessions. He is strongly committed to supporting and promoting the arts through
Up Your Arts.
Shawn Duncan
Shawn is the founding member of The
Groove Pirates, a local band well known
and appreciated by area musicians. It is
not unusual at any given performance to
see him play guitar, mandolin and keyboards, and then switch to drums, bass
and vocals. A self-taught sound engineer,
he enjoys over 25 years of experience in
event production, aided and abetted by
a background as a professional photographer. Originally from New England, Shawn
owned and operated a photography business there for 20 years. He now resides in
Southport and brings a wide range of talents to Up Your Arts.
John Tatum
John began playing guitar as a boy,
picking blue grass tunes in the mountains
of North Carolina with friends and family.
He later developed a unique style of performance and showmanship as a blues musician. A guitar virtuoso, John toured and
recorded professionally for years, appearing on stage with nationally known “A-list”
musicians. He currently sells, repairs and
consigns quality stringed instruments and
related equipment from his guitar shop at
Southport Johnnies, where he also paints
and teaches a variety of instruments. He
performs regularly with Southport Johnny
and the Bizness and fills the role of elder
musical statesman for Up Your Arts.

THANK YOU
FOR VOTING US
Most Often Dined at Restaurant
Exceptional Service
Favorite Appetizer
Oysters
6 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

SERVING
FARM FRESH
VEGETABLES
DAILY

CURRENTS

CARLA EDSTROM

Carla Edstrom
Carla is a classically trained vocalist, pottery artist and freelance writer. She moved
to Boiling Spring Lakes in 2005 and became active with the Associated Artists of
Southport the following year. She is currently a pottery instructor at the Southport
campus of Brunswick Community College,
a vocalist with The Groove Pirates Band,
and assistant editor for Southport and Leland Magazines, for which she also writes
the Art Beat, a monthly column featuring
local artists and crafts people. Up Your
Arts is a natural extension of her ongoing immersion in this area’s numerous arts
communities.
John Keiffer
John is a local musician, graphic artist,
and painter, who retired to Southport after
a career as a paramedic in the Washington,
DC, area, where he also taught college and
organized large- and small-scale public
events, including a series of cutting-edge
arts festivals. This wide-ranging experience, coupled with an academic career

in theological studies, successful occupations as a youth minister and a residential
builder in Boston, informs John’s delight
with connecting dots. Since moving here
in 2010, he has cemented his passion for
the creative and performing arts with his
graphic design studio at Southport Johnnies and as the quintessential ambassador
for Up Your Arts.
Bonnie Bray
Bonnie brings an abiding appreciation
for the arts to this endeavor. She is a writer,
amateur photographer, and novice potter,
with a 25-year career as the chief financial
officer for local governments in Maryland
and North Carolina. This focus has given
her direct experience managing the details of community engagement with public and private resources, many specializing
in arts-related outcomes. Bonnie sees Up
Your Arts as a vital link between artists and
their audiences -- and the contributions
both make to the quality of life in this area.
Michael Mitchem
Michael is native to the Southport/Oak
Island area, with over 20 years of experience as a guitarist and an audio recording
engineer. During this time, he has been in
a unique position to develop his craft with

DIANE JOHNSON
some of the best working musicians in the
area, and, as such, brings a finely tuned local perspective to Up Your Arts. Michael is
currently a specialist in computer software
security, having spent the bulk of his professional life in the information technology
industry. Michael’s talents in this arena are
generously dedicated to the success of Up
Your Arts.
Diana Johnson
Diana brought her love of dance to
Southport two years ago, after decades as
a teacher and performer with the Sacred
Dance Guild of Fredericksburg, Virginia,
and other dance societies in Connecticut
and Greensboro, North Carolina. Diana’s
professional accomplishments also include
years as a cast member with “The Lost Colony,” the nation’s longest running outdoor
drama about Roanoke Island, in addition
to owning a dance and yoga studio in Nags
Head. She now teaches yoga in Southport
and practices at Hearts and Sol Wellness
on Oak Island. Up Your Arts is well served
by Diana’s deep engagement with dance
and the healing arts.

Up Your Arts is a non-profit organization founded in 2017 to support and enhance the creative and performing arts
throughout the greater Southport area.
There is indeed much to promote. Live
music, numerous galleries and shops,
festivals and community events, established theater groups, a college campus focused on the arts, the quaint and
picturesque location of numerous film
productions . . . The Southeast Coast of
North Carolina continues to emerge as a
regional destination focused on the arts.

THE MISSION OF UP YOUR ARTS
IS SIMPLE:

• To promote all of the artful, musical
and theatrical events throughout
the area
• To support the mission of the Southport Center of Brunswick Community College in offering the best
hands-on learning opportunities in
the arts
• To encourage all interested musicians and artists in their entrepreneurial and educational efforts
• To promote the creation of new and
dynamic venues, events and festivals to round out the artistic offerings which currently exist
• To advocate strongly for the art
community and pursue every opportunity for
• advocacy in the public realm
• To leverage our membership in
supporting associated community
non-profit organizations
• To do the work necessary to ensure
the success of regional art, music,
dance and theater

JOHN TATUM

Kayak

Tours ★ Lessons
Sales & Rentals
Stand Up Paddle Boards Sales

8 years of Adventu
brating 1
re!
e
l
e
C

Information & Reservations

910-454-0607

www.theadventurecompany.net

807-A-Howe Street, Southport, NC
Historical Southport bicycle tours

CHECK OUT OUR BIKE RENTALS
Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

and bicycle rentals.

www.SouthportMag.com / AUGUST 2018 / Southport Magazine 7

CURRENTS

Gallery Spotlight
Local Art Hot Spots summed up
STORY BY CARLA EDSTROM

T

here’s a lot of art to see in Southport including large and small-scale
shops, owner/artist studios and fine art galleries. It’s the perfect place
to find that great art piece for your home, or a gift for a loved one while
enjoying the coastal weather and scenery. With this month’s issue being
all about art, I would like to feature just a handful of my favorite galleries
and shops I think you should check out. Each of these galleries support
local artists work. Some of them are old favorites and some are new. All
of them have that Southport Southern charm. There are many other great
places to visit too, so this is a good place to start! This is by no means a
comprehensive list, but we wanted to highlight a few to check out.

KRISTI HAYDEN

LINDA REEVES
DUNES MERCANTILE

Local Artisans and Curators
Linda Reeves and Bill Nelson, Owners
8600 Oak Island Dr, Oak Island
Call 910-367-6139
Being the new kid in town, this shop is
absolutely jammed packed with antique
vendors, local artists and craftspeople.
Only open for about a month, Dunes has
quickly become a fabulous place for artists
to show off and sell their work. With 46
vendors and a waiting list for more, you
can find all things vintage as well as many
new crafts and arts such as paintings, repurposed furniture, pottery, glass art, and
even local honey.

on. You may get to see a pottery wheel
demonstration by Spence while browsing
the other art and crafts for sale. You will
find pottery, fabric, crocheted items, repurposed wine bottle wind chimes, jewelry, cement planters and stepping-stones
and much more! Stop by August 4th for
the Jam Rock Jamaican Independence
Day Celebration featuring reggae music,
vendors and food all day from 12-9:30 pm.

DIANE BENZIE

On your next trip out to the beach, stop
by the Coastal Cottage Shop. Established
in 2017, this gallery shop is a hidden treasure on Long Beach Road snuggled underneath shade trees, and just as the name
implies, it definitely possesses a warm
cottage feel. Inside you will find a plethora
of coastal themed gifts, local art and craft
including paintings, pottery, jewelry, handbags and locally made furniture. You can
find everything you need to decorate your
beach themed home and more.

ARTSHAK

Thom Seaman and Linda Platt, Owner/
Artists
822 N Howe St, Southport
Call (910) 457-1757
Open 10-5pm daily and later for First
Friday Gallery walks.
A long time staple of the Southport gallery community is the Artshak. With friendly owner/artists that actually make much
of their art on premises, this gallery has it
all. With 55 artists work on display, you can

HAYDEN STUDIOS

Spence and Kristi Hayden, Owner/Artists
5469 Dosher Cutoff, SE, Southport
Call 928-243-6740 or 480-560-4365
Email: spencehayden@yahoo.com
Open Friday and Saturdays 10-4
If your driving across Dosher Cutoff on
the way through town next Saturday, stop
by Hayden Studios and see what is going

8 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

THOM SEAMAN & LINDA PLATT

MAUREEN MEEHAN

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

CURRENTS
AUGUST CHEESE
OF THE MONTH

find one of a kind art pieces including large AND DON’T FORGET:
outdoor metal features made by the own- • Franklin Square Gallery, 130 E. West
er in the onsite studio, pottery sculptures,
Street, Southport
jewelry, wonderful encaustic paintings and
• Pescado Y Amor, 6018 E Oak Island
fabulous large glass masterpieces. DefiantDr, Oak Island
ly check this one out!
• Ricky Evans Gallery, 211 North Howe
St, Southport
LANTANA’S GALLERY & FINE
• Tale Feathers, 105 S Howe St, SouthGIFTS
port
Maureen Meehan, Owner
• Shops at 424, 424 N Howe St, South113 S Howe St, Southport
port
(910) 457-0957
• Painted Mermaid,1208 N Howe St,
www.lantanasgallery.com
Southport
Open Monday-Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 11-5 and open later for the First Friday • All About Art, Bald Head Island
Gallery walk that occurs the first Friday of
You can also find art for sale displayed
each month.
by local cafes like Port City Java on Howe
Lantana’s is a must visit gallery gift shop Street, restaurants like Moore Street Deli
right on Howe Street near the waterfront.
and Dry Street Pub and wine shops like SilEvery day you can find fabulous local artver Coast, Uncorked by the Sea and The
ists creations including jewelry, paintings,
pottery, and many other arts, crafts and Wine Rack.

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

We now have a
large selection of
Bonsai Trees!
www.SouthportMag.com / AUGUST 2018 / Southport Magazine 9

CURRENTS

House Concerts

A modern music venue on the rise
STORY BY MIKE YELEY

I

n days of old, people would gather to hear troubadours sing
songs of the times and play their instruments as they roamed
throughout the countryside. In more recent times, families and
friends would gather on the front porch, the parlor or the living
room and share music they performed themselves.
women desperately looking to meet Mr.
or Ms. Right. Definitely not the place for
someone looking for a meaningful or relaxing music experience. And while outdoor
summer concerts are a great and glorious
thing, sometimes too much sun, bugs or
bad weather make them impossible to sit
through pleasantly. Plus, they disappear
as the weather turns cold.
So, What’s A House Concert?
House concerts are an exciting new
phenomenon in which musicians perform
in private living rooms for a small but attentive paying audience. They’re fun, personal and for the audience, a marvelous

alternative to another night of sitcoms on
tv. And they can take place all year ‘round.
Typically numbering 20-30 audience
members, house concerts have skyrocketed in popularity over the past ten years.
The most often cited reason is because of
the intimate connection between the artist
and the audience that just doesn’t happen
in a bar, club, outdoors or in big concert
hall. This entertainment win/win result is a
memorable and enjoyable night out for everyone involved, including the artist.
How Does A House Concert Work?
Once a date is set with the artist, usually

Kay Jolliff

MUSIC LINEUP FOR AUGUST
Friday, Aug. 3: SOUL-R-FUSION 8:00-11:00

Margaret Rudd & Associates, Inc., Realtors

CALL KAY at 910-523-0624
SOUTHPORT

The best place to
enjoy the sunsets
in Southport!
102 River Drive This home is what dreams are made of...especially the Southport dream! Enjoy beautiful views
of the Cape Fear River from this home, situated on over 1.25 AC and located a quick walk to all of downtown Southport. The
property has a pier with dock and boat lift to make it easy for you to enjoy getting out on the water. Watch boat and ship traffic from the large windows in the living area and bedrooms. There’s also a den/flex space which would be great as an office
or studio. The home has a covered porch area and an expansive open deck plus a screened porch, giving you lots of options
for outdoor living. Unfinished basement is 676 square feet. $1,199,000 * MLS#100117719 Call Kay Jolliff of Margaret Rudd and
Associates, Inc., REALTORS at 910-457-5258
112 N. Howe Street • Southport • (910) 523-0624 • kayjolliff@gmail.com
10 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

LIVE MUSIC

Today, the music scene is a whole different kettle of fish. Ipods, phones and downloaded and steaming music from iTunes,
Spotify and more have become the music
source at home. At nightclubs, DJ’s have
supplanted many of the venue where live
bands and musicians used to play. The
concert scene, for those big touring performers, is often out of reach financially and
geographically for most admiring fans.
For local music, often all that’s left is the
local bar scene, where if one wants to hear
music, they typically must compete with
bar noise, multiple big-screen TV’s blaring
some obscure soccer game, and men and

at least 30 days out, the host hand-picks
and invites the audience: friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc. Seating is
usually folding chairs set up in the living
room, either borrowed or brought by the
audience members themselves. There’s
some socializing time before, the level of
refreshments is optional, then the concert
begins typically at 7 or 8 p.m. Folks are
usually done and out the door by 9:30,
taking their chairs and their memories with
them.
House concerts are donation-supported
and all donations go to the artist. A typical
donation is in the $10 to $20 range and
passing that donation jar, usually at intermission, is part of the fun. The host provides the venue only, undergoing very little
in the way of costs while garnering massive
status points as the neighborhood cultural
leader and trendsetter! If you’ve never experienced a house concert, you’re in for a
musical treat.
Author note: Mike Yeley is a modern day
traveling troubadour, now based in Brunswick County. If you’d to explore a house
concert, the website is www.mikeshouseconcerts.com..

am thrilled this month to be writing about my multi talented artist friend and editor of Southport and Leland Magazines, Ami
Brown. Her Nautical Art Exhibition Opening - August 1, 5:307:30pm at the Wine Rack, Southport.
Sometimes in life you meet someone and you just know that they are
going to be a friend. Such is the case
of when I met Ami a few years ago at
Franklin Square Gallery in Southport. I
was instantly drawn in by her positive
kind-hearted nature. I remember us
having a discussion in my pottery studio about her being a freelance writer
and how I always wanted to do that
but I didn’t feel like I had the enough
education or experience for writing
professionally. And I hadn’t written
anything for so long, I thought it was
just a pipe dream I would never fulfill.
She told me that I should just do it and

encouraged me to start writing again.
Not long after that, Ami became the
editor of Southport Magazine and the
next thing I knew, she asked me to
write for the magazine. I will always be
grateful that she took a chance on me
as a writer.
With her abundant creativity and her
fearless ability to pull amazing ideas
out of thin air, Ami never ceases to
amaze me. Being a multi-media artist, writer and overall creative person
is nothing new to her, and it’s always
been part of who she is. “I remember
taking art classes as a child, I loved
drawing animals and nature, flowers,

Ami in her studio
trees, birds,” she explained. “As I got
older I started drawing and painting
people. I took a portrait painting class
at Michaels and I absolutely loved it,”
she said. “Writing and painting are my
two passions and I feel lucky to have
them both as my “real” job,” said
Ami. “It hardly feels like I am actually
working! I guess my creativity has always been part of what I love doing,”
she said. “I was the editor of my High
School paper and I have always loved
to write. I started helping my brother-in-law with his web content several years ago, and I kind of fell back in
love with writing. When I moved to
Southport in 2015, I reached out to
the magazine and was hired as one
of the freelance writers, and now I am
the editor. I absolutely love that I can
meet the people in the area and write
about community and events here.”
Ami’s art is always growing as she
finds inspiration everywhere in ordinary things. “My favorite thing to do
is to just start out with a rough idea,
and then start painting and it always
changes,” she said. “It evolves and
goes somewhere new, and somewhere exciting. And I love that about

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

Get FREE Registration When
You Mention This Ad!
Be sure to ask
about our infant
curriculum!

Join Childcare Network for
• Quality education for children
6 weeks - 12 years
• Fresh and healthy meals & snacks
• Exciting before and after
school programs
• Safe transportation to and
from local schools
• Fun and engaging curriculum
for all ages
• CNI Cares mobile app

For up-to-date information: www.southportnc.org
Sponsored by Downtown Southport, Inc. with the support of local businesses
and the City of Southport Departments of Parks & Recreation and Tourism
Code of Ordinances Sec. 12-41. Prohibited activities at park: Consumption of
malt beverages and unfortified wine.

NC Blues Kings

(North Carolina's Best Blues Musicians)

Sponsored by: Sea Glass Realty

12 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

art beat

Off to class
we go running,

painting abstracts,” said Ami. “I love
to take photos of random objects,
rusted bolts, peeling paint, an old broken piece of wood, and look at it up
close,” she said. She explained that
she loves to focus on a section of an
object and paint just that part, such as
a couple paintings she made of rusted
bolts that were on the Oak Island pier
a few years ago. “I am inspired by the
simplest of things really.”
Using mostly oil and acrylic paints,
Ami also uses other elements of style
in her painting such as textures and
gloss finishes. “When I do commissions, I am pretty open to content, but
I do use oil or acrylic, depending on
what I am painting,” said Ami. “If it’s a
large abstract, then I’ll use oil. If it’s an
animal or portrait I will generally use
acrylic, just so it can dry faster. I like to
incorporate other types of paint and
high gloss on certain areas to make
the image more interesting,” she explains. “I was given a set of oil paints
when I was about 17 years old from
an Aunt and I fell in love with how oil
paint moves and blends colors. Something you can’t really do with acrylics
or watercolor,” she explains. “I recently took an alcohol ink class and loved
that too.” Ami recently won first place
in the Oak Island Sea to Shore Exhibition for her alcohol ink flower painting.
Another big inspiration of Ami’s art
is birds. As a volunteer for Sea Biscuit
Wildlife Center on Oak Island, she
gets to care for and observe the birds’
behavior weekly. Ami’s love of nature
is apparent in her paintings, from her
colorful alcohol ink flower tiles to her

large paintings of whimsical frogs and
birds. “I love how nature and the elements create beautiful patterns, colors
and textures,” she said.
Having her roots scattered all over
the East Coast, Ami is happy to now
make Southport her home. “I am definitely drawn to water, and have always
loved to be near the ocean and water,” she said. “I lived in New Zealand
for 10 1/2 years. I opened my own art
gallery while I was there and loved it.
The gallery gave me the confidence
really to explore all kinds of painting.”
Ami has been working hard to create work for her featured artists show
at the Leland Community Arts Center
July 6-August 3rd. “The title of the
exhibition is “Naturally Unexpected,”
Ami explained. “I created artworks
based around nature, but with some
kind of twist, something unexpected.
I mean how many bowls of fruit are
there anyway? Have you ever seen
piglets in a bathtub? Well you will!”
Her show in July isn’t the only featured show she will have this summer.
You can also see Ami’s art at the Wine
Rack in Southport during the entire
month of August. And Ami says that
this artwork is all new and inspired by
an ocean and nautical theme, including some abstract landscapes - one of
her favorite things to paint. And with
all of her creativity, I have no doubt it
will be fantastic! Make sure to come
out on August 1st, 5:30-7:30 to
catch her opening at the Wine Rack
in Southport.

Check out our website to
view schedule of classes
and open studio times.

www.pescadoyamor.com

If you are ready for a creative
night or day, Missy’s Charming
studio sets the mood for a
personal class taught by
the artist herself!

6018 East Oak Island Drive
(910) 632-3908

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

History
Art Newton

A look back at Southport’s Art Legend
STORY BY KASS FINCHER

N

ative son Art Newton is arguably the most well-known artist
that Southport has ever produced. He was an accomplished
photographer who, in the 1940s and 1950s, catalogued the changing waterfront and the devastation of Hurricane Hazel. But it is his
oils, watercolors and pencil sketches that continue to capture our
imaginations and the colorful vitality of our lovely region.

Celebrating the artist’s life and works
is our own well-known resident, Tommy
Harrelson, in his book, “Southport’s Art
Newton.” The paintings and drawings leap
from the page in a beautifully illustrated
publication that not only documents Newton’s work, but also the changing Southport landscape during this time. Harrelson
describes his interest in the project. “My
dad owned Dan Harrelson Grocery on the
waterfront” he says. “Art painted it and my
dad bought the grocery store painting in
1950. The store was destroyed in the hurricane, so I wanted to hold onto that painting. I would put it out at my business later
and share it with people. Someone would
say, ‘oh you like Art Newton? I’ve got one,
I’ll sell it to you!’ So I formed my collection
that way.”
Harrelson hung his collection of three
pencil drawings and five paintings in his
front room so he could look at them. “I
guess they started talking to me,” he says.
“I started thinking about how I might share
them and other Newton works. Someone
said why don’t you write a book? I said
well, that can’t be that hard. So I did! I had
no idea what I was doing, but I had a lot of
help along the way.”
Harrelson chronicles Newton’s life from
childhood to his death in 1964 at age 42.
As a child nicknamed “Snooks,” Newton’s
parents died within a week of each other
when Art was only 13 years old. Raised by
his aunt and uncle in Southport, his interest in and talent for drawing surfaced early.
After graduating high school, he worked in
Wilmington to earn money for formal art
training, eventually entering the Central
Academy of Commercial Art in Cincinnati.
When WWII erupted, Newton entered
the Coast Guard and served for four years
as a photographer. After leaving the service, he received more art training in New
York. But never forgetting his hometown of
Southport, Newton came often to exhibit

his work, and in 1946 met his wife, Valli
Bryant, here. They lived in New York City
for a few years where he worked in the art
department at Avon. But when their first
child Jon Arthur was born in 1949, they decided to move back to Southport in search
of a more family-oriented community.
Newton was determined to make a living here with his art, painting everything
from houses to portraits. As Southport’s
first professional artist, Newton opened a
small store on Moore Street where he sold
cameras, art supplies and his own artwork.
He also offered art classes in the back
room. “When I was a boy my sister and I
both took art lessons from him,” says Harrelson. “My sister – Anne Ward – is an accomplished artist in her own right. She has
a beautiful oil painting of his, one of the
few oils. The painting is in her home here.”
When he wasn’t pursuing his artistic interests, Newton was fishing and shrimping to earn more money for his family.
Many of his scenes are of local fishermen
and shrimp boats, busy at work on the
Cape Fear. Perhaps one of his most famous works is of the Roland, a ship carrying 15 refugees from Russia that entered
our waters in 1948 and whose occupants
were eventually granted the right to stay
in America. Newton photographed the
then-sunken vessel and painted several
watercolors of the scene.
Harrelson describes Newton’s process.
“He flew in a plane from the fish factory and took photos,” he relates. “There
were two fish factories – menhaden plants
– they had a landing strip there and they
would fly out and look for schools of fish
and let the fishermen know where they
were. There’s one beautiful painting of the
waterfront with the Roland in it.”
A co-founder of the Associated Artists
of Southport, Newton was also involved
with the Wilmington arts scene. One of
his most prominent patrons there was

One of Art’s Paintings of the Cape Fear Pilot Boat

Samuel Bissette, president of the Peoples
Federal Savings and Loan. Bissette was a
prominent businessman and ardent art lover, eventually becoming an accomplished
artist himself. His collection of Newton’s
work can still be seen in what is now First
Citizens Bank on the corner of Market and
Fourth Street in Wilmington.
Trained primarily in commercial art,
Newton also worked at the Wilmington
television station WECT (formerly WMFD)
and Wilmington Printing Company as art
director. Additionally, he designed and
wrote several travel and tourism publications. Unfortunately, much of his commercial artwork has been lost over time.
As many artists would tell you, it’s tough
to support a family on your art. Newton
pursued every avenue he could to support
his wife and three children, and despite
local and regional acclaim as an accomplished artist, in a small community like
ours it was a struggle. In 1964, Newton
died on the river he so loved; his body was
found upriver from his home. Explanations
vary as to the cause but most believe it was

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

accidental.
Though he died too young, Newton’s art
continues to inspire, in many ways thanks
to Harrelson’s dogged efforts to track
down Newton’s works and share them.
Today, Harrelson’s book is widely available
in Southport – at the Maritime Museum,
Ports of Call, Southport Visitors’ Center
and Ricky Evans Gallery. Upon request, the
Evans Gallery can also make prints of any
image in the book. Harrelson credits area
collectors and gallery owners for helping
him put the book together to celebrate
Art Newton’s life and work. “Almost all the
collectors have Oak Island or Southport
ties,” he says. “They were so generous
and trusting in lending me their pieces.
Ricky and Debbie Evans took each piece
and scanned or photographed them to
create digital images. They would remat
or reframe them too. I so appreciate their
help.”
It’s what a small community like Southport does – we join together to celebrate
one of our own.

Just wanted to let everyone know
that I have not retired!
Come see me!

Maria C. Teslik is a life coach who listens for your
authentic power, teaches spiritual money management,
and is a master of bringing to light the divine gifts of
masculine and feminine partnership. she uses many
tools to do this including collaging, asking careful
questions (having you discover your own wisdom), artist
sketch pads, and walking in nature.

Maria is a detective of sorts in listening keenly for
clues in your speaking and body language for what
wants to bloom in your life. Maria is a natural intuitive.
she knows that a person’s life experiences are sacred
ground. And she is results and action oriented. You will
get homework when working with Maria. You will laugh
together too.
Maria has had a variety of life experiences allowing
her to think differently. she got her Masters Degree
in horticulture from penn state. her undergrad in
horticulture from wisconsin-Madison. she owned a
vegetable farm that delivered gourmet tomatoes to the
finest restaurants in Charlotte. During the off season,
she was a mortgage loan assistant - working directly
with personal finances of many persons.

she is currently active in real estate investing and
does detective work in finding missing home owners
and putting together family trees. she is a Course
supervisor for Landmark worldwide. she has been
actively participating in transformational work for over 20
years, she is doting mother of a wonderful young man.

She has an office in Hearts and Sol Wellness that she
joyfully shares with Larry Gerstenhaber, ph.D. her
email is mariasNEC@gmail.com and her phone number is
704-228-4360 or 704-2BU-4(a)360 view.

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

Cheers
Sangria Adventures

The light fruity drink, perfect for Summer
STORY AND PHOTO BY JEFF STITES

W

ith summer in full swing, I thought we’d take a look at sangria
this month. It’s cold and fruity and refreshing, and perfect
for entertaining because it’s easy to make in good-sized batches.
I’m a fan of sangria, but have never tried making it myself, so join
me as I dive into learning about one of the oldest mixed drinks
known to man.
One of the first things I learned about
sangria is that it’s completely free-form.
Sangria, named after the Spanish word for
blood (because of the color), or maybe going all the way back to the Sanskrit term
for sugared wine, is simply wine mixed
with a little sugar and whatever fruit happened to be laying around. There are no
rules in sangria. Well, unless you live in the
European Union where there are rules for
everything. The EU requires sangria to be
produced in Spain and fall within a certain
alcohol content range and a few other silly
things. But we are not in the EU so your
sangria can be whatever you like. It’s great
to be an American, isn’t it?
Sangria became popular in Spain as soon
as the alcohol-free Moors were kicked out
and it spread to the Caribbean and the
British colonies of North America. For
some reason, it fell out of favor soon after
independence, but after it was served at
the Spain pavilion during the 1964 World’s
Fair in New York, it took off again in the
States. You can even buy pre-made sangria
at the grocery store now, but don’t.
Making sangria at home is easy and fun.
All you need is wine -- red is traditional but
white is just as good -- sugar and fruit. You
can add other things, like liqueur or brandy to make it a little stronger, or juice, club
soda or Sprite to make it a little lighter. You
can chill it or not, as you like, but it needs
to sit a couple hours at least for the fruit to
properly flavor the wine. The waiting truly
is the hardest part.
The fruit you use is up to you. Are you
sensing a theme here? Use whatever you
like or whatever is looking good at the
time you make your sangria. Citrus fruits
like oranges, lemons and limes were popular in Spain, but tropical fruits like pineapples, kiwis and mangoes make for a great
tropical sangria, and berries are wonderful
if that’s what grows where you live. You

want to cut up your fruit so the flesh comes
into contact with the wine and they get all
happy together over time.
I decided to make both red and white
sangria, because why not, you know? I figured you could get away with using cheap
wine since you’re just going to fill it up with
fruit and sugar anyway, but then I though
life’s too short to drink Sutter Home sangria, so I tried to get as authentic as possible. I’d read that Spanish sangria was
traditionally made with rioja wine, something I’d never heard of before. I found
one called Marques de Caceres at Lowes
on sale for $13.99 so I snapped that up.
I didn’t see any Spanish whites but there
was a white blend from Portugal, called
Anjos (and it as on sale) and it seemed like
close enough, so I grabbed that as well.
I tried to go summer-y with my fruit selections, so I got watermelon, kiwi, strawberries and limes for the white, and peaches, plums, oranges, strawberries and limes
for the red.
Next stop was the ABC store for some
orange liqueur. I found a small bottle of Patron, but on my way, I passed a display of
North Carolina liquors and saw something
called Sun Dog Pink Lemonade made in
Mount Pleasant. I wasn’t planning to add

any liquor to the white sangria, but how
could I resist that? I mean, it’s local and all,
right? I’ll admit that the label sort of has
“bad decision” written all over it, but I was
hoping just a bit in the mix wouldn’t be a
mistake.
As it turned out, it was definitely not a
mistake. My white sangria tasted like summer in a glass with the Sun Dog adding a
bit of brightness but not turning the concoction into a frat punch. Watermelons
were a great choice for this, if I do say so
myself, as their flavor infused the sangria
with just the right amount of sweetness
without being over-powering. I added a
splash of Sprite to each glass after pouring to give the drink some bubbles and it
worked nicely, but I don’t think I’d miss it if
it weren’t there. All in all, a terrific success.
The red version was even better, I
thought, though that may be because of
my preference for red wine over white. The
fruit and the little bit of sugar mellowed
the acidity of the wine and made it terrifically easy-to-drink. There wasn’t one fruit
that “made” the drink like the watermelon
in the white sangria, but the combination
seemed to work well. Eating the fruit from
the empty red sangria glass was a treat.
I’m not including recipes for my sangrias
because I feel that would destroy the best
feature of sangria—freedom. Your sangria
should be all about what you like and what
you find. Make the wine as dry or sweet or
you like, use whatever fruit makes you happy, and add alcohol or not to your heart’s
content. I will say I made my sugar into
simple syrup by combining it with equal
amounts of water over heat until it all dissolved and I cut my fruit up fairly small to
increase its surface area in contact with the

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

wine.
But even these things are entirely up
to you. The only rule is to not follow any
rules. Except maybe to make sure you eat
the fruit.

ell you’ve made it through another Fourth of July and now
it’s time to relax and start your real Summer vacation. If
you own any kind of water craft, you just might know these guys!
They offer everything you might need for your boat or water sport
equipment. It’s Southport Water Sports and here is the lowdown
on everything you need to know!

1 – Give us a brief history of how
Southport WaterSports opened?
I had a wonderful opportunity to bring
good service with fair pricing to the
community.
2 – Have you always been in the boat
business?
Yes, I started in the boat business at
age 19, at Hatteras Yachts, and have
built my career and reputation since,
Fountain Boats, Tiara Yachts, Rampage
and Cruiser Yachts. To present day.
3 – As an authorized Boat Dealer,
please tell us about your boats
(brands) you have for sale. (New and
used)
We have G3, which is a Yamaha boat,
Maycraft, which is a locally built boat for
sale and authorized Suzuki and Yamaha
Dealer
4 – You also sell trailers, tell us more
about that.

We sell Venture and EZ loader trailers and an authorized repair center for
these models. We can also repair and
service all trailers.
5 – When it comes to wear and tear…
you offer canvas repair and custom
aluminum fabrication, what exactly
does that entail?
The business and can repair and custom
fabricate for any boat. We also have the
experience to fabricate or modify aluminum or steel
6 - Boat maintenance is very
important, especially with the salt
water… you offer bottom painting,
how often should that be done – and
how important is it?
Bottom painting is very important to
boats left in the salt water, it helps protect your investment. It is recommended to be done every two years. Scraping of the hull is also recommended in
between, it helps extend the life of the
bottom paint.

Southport Watersport Staff

7 – What kind of electrical and engine
services do you offer?
We are an authorized Yamaha and Suzuki dealer and follow their guidelines,
We have two certified technicians.
8 – What advice would you give
a first-time boat owner, for long
engine/boat life?
First time boat owners should do their

research in regard to what type of boat
they would like to purchase based on
the activity. It is important to follow the
maintenance schedule and most important to USE the boat.
9 – What kind of fiberglass work do
you do?
We have an ABYC certified tech in fiberglass repair.

Dosher expands heart
health services
New “Steps to Wellness” program is for past cardiac rehab patients
and those who want to live a healthier lifestyle. 910-457-3817.
Dosher Wellness Center | 3009 Medical Plaza Ln., Southport
Dosher.org/Clinics
Dosher is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

www.SouthportMag.com / AUGUST 2018 / Southport Magazine 19

BIZ Q&A
10 – Do you have any special deals or
offers you’d like to tell us about?
Yamaha has periodic specials, call us
for details, Both brands run promotion
sales several times per year.
11 – Is it easy to get financing for a
boat (like a car)?
We deal with all banks and Marathon
Finance (which specializes in marine finance)

FUN QUESTIONS

What kind of boat do you have? (or
what is your dream boat?)
I have owned many boats, I own a 16ft
John boat right now which is ideal for inter coastal and inland fishing. My dream
boat, hard to say, one big enough for
the family to enjoy but not to big where
I can’t handle it by myself.

Do you like to sail or powerboat?
(why)
I will always choose a power boat!! I
like to be in control!!
What is number one on your bucket
list?
My number one on the bucket list,
continue to share my life with my wife,
kids and grandkids.
What is your favorite boating
destination?
Favorite boating destination would be
to travel the intercoastal to the keys, no
time limit, and just enjoy the experience.
What is your favorite boating
activity? Fishing? Cruising?
I love to just cruise and relax, find a fun
place to swim and enjoy the family.
Favorite Book or Movie?
I enjoy any movie that makes me
laugh, I don’t have much time to read!

Southport Water Sports

is located at
4888 coastal Drive SE, Southport
Business hours are
7:30 to 5 Monday thru Friday
Southportwatersports@gmail.com
Please stop by and lets talk
about your boating needs.
We also won the 2018 MAGEE award
for the most popular place to buy a boat.
Thank you to all of our loyal customers and
new friends to come!!

NOW OPEN
FOR DINNER

108 E. Moore St. • (910) 363-4402

bluecowgrille.com

Buy one Burger or
(910) 363-4402
Sandwich
and get the
second
of equal or
Call for Hours
lesser
value
Drinks

Southport’s newest and best spot to grab
a top notch burger, wings, fries, onion
rings, fresh fish sandwiches and more!

(Beer and Wine Available)

4-6 p.m. ONLY
Expires August, 31st 2018

OPEN: Monday-Saturday 11-8pm and Sundays 11-3pm

20 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

NOW OPEN SUNDAYS!

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

FOODIES UNITE!

CORKS &

U

Eight days of dining delight is a great benefit for both diners and the restaurant
community, giving our local economy not only a great boost but a chance to experience
the expansive talent our culinary scene offers.
It’s easy! Be on the lookout for the 2018 Restaurant Week Menu in the mail and in
Southport Magazine. There are no passes to buy, no coupons to carry and no cards to
punch! Simply attend the participating restaurant of your choice, request the Restaurant
Week menu and enjoy!
Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

Any Restaurants interested
in participating, please call
the Southport-Oak Island Area
Chamber of Commerce at

910-457-6964
SIGN UP
TODAY!

www.SouthportMag.com / AUGUST 2018 / Southport Magazine 21

SAVOR

The “NEW” Wine Rack
New owners make the Wine Rack the place to
go!
STORY BY KASS FINCHER

W

hen friends Amy Stafford and Karen “KJ” Johnston talked about
businesses they might want to work on together, they didn’t envision a wine shop at first. Amy was still living in Greensboro, although
she and husband Eric Hoffman spent many weekends in Southport and
planned to move here after their daughter Grace graduated. And KJ was
retiring as an emergency room nurse, but looking for a new commitment
and challenge.
Seems they both found it. After ten years,
Ray Williams, owner of the popular Wine
Rack on Howe Street in Southport, was
ready to pass the baton to someone else to
keep the business going. KJ and Amy, like
many local residents, were regulars at the
Wine Rack, especially on Friday nights when
the shop hosted their popular wine tasting
events. The two talked, researched the idea

SUMMER
Clearance Sale!

and eventually stepped up and bought the
business in April this year, bringing their
own creative ideas and a commitment to
renovate the space and make it even more
of a destination for all.
It’s certainly paid off. With their grand
opening June 2, KJ and Amy definitely put
their stamp on the business, introducing
outstanding renovations to the space and
offering events they plan for the coming
months. They both say their customers’
tastes are diverse and they want to remain
true to those choices, so they have kept basically the same wine and beer selections
for now.
The space is a different story. KJ talks
about the renovations they made. “Our
vision was to make it more open, clean up
the front and offer more seating,” she says.

Amy Stafford and Karen Johnston

“It was actually Ray’s idea to provide the
French doors to the back so people could
congregate back there. We put in a privacy
fence around the property and now we have
seating for 30-plus people back there. We
redid the patios out front, painted the exterior and interior, moved the bar and opened
up the interior. It feels so much more open.”
Amy agrees. “All the contractors were
local,” she relates. “They came when they
said they would and helped us make our
vision come about. One of the ideas was
a wall inside using Annie Sloan chalk paint
that created a brick facade; we’ve gotten so
many compliments on it.”
The partners also acknowledge their
husbands’ support and involvement in the

enterprise. Eric Hoffman, a founder of the
Southport Yacht Club, and Sam Johnston,
the current commodore of the club, put
in their own sweat equity – especially creating the welcoming environment outside
that brings friends and new customers to
the Wine Rack. Amy explains, “None of this
would have been possible without Eric and
Sam – they have been unbelievably supportive.”
The owners are moving forward with their
own ideas about how to grow the business.
Amy is developing partnerships with food
trucks, book clubs and other community
groups that will take the Wine Rack in a new
direction that will encourage patronage

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

SAVOR
every day of the week. They are offering
a monthly calendar of events that includes
book clubs, private parties, special wine
tastings and art shows. The pair are also
planning a series of educational opportunities, where, for example, customers can
hear from experts about wine and food
pairings.
Here are some of the events coming up in
August and September:
• Free wine tastings every Friday night,
5:30-8pm
• August 1 - Ami Brown’s art show,
5:30-7:30pm
• August 8 - French wine and cheese
pairing with Mike Summerlin from
Grapevine, 6:30-7:30 pm.
• August 22 - live music with David Dixon and beer tasting with Raleigh’s Gizmo Brewing, 6-8 pm.
• September 26 - Oktoberfest 6-8pm
with Jen from Mutual. Beer tasting
and Brats with Kraut, 6-8 pm.
It is a busy calendar, but one that will
showcase the Wine Rack’s offerings as well
as reach out to a community that treasures
good wines and good friends.
Though both partners are involved in the

The Wine Rack
102 W. Brown St

Southport, NC
910-457-5147

Open Mon-Sat,
11 am-6 pm
Friday til 8 pm
day-to-day operations, Amy and KJ each
have their own interests that play out well
for the business. Amy is focused on building social media and community events. KJ
is the personal greeter, as Amy says, “the
social butterfly,” who makes everyone feel

welcome. When asked what KJ would say
about their philosophy, she says, “Come
and drink wine in friendship.” That seems
like a welcome we can all happily embrace.

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

Showcase

Free Concerts

Summer movies & music still rocks all of
August
PHOTO BY JEFF STITES

I

f you like great music and family fun, then every Thursday and
Friday night you are in for a treat! The Summer concert series
are on through August in Southport and Oak Island. Don’t miss
out! The Jamaican Independence Day Celebration Concert is also
a great place for fun!

OAK ISLAND PARKS & REC
CONCERT SERIES

OAK ISLAND - Middleton Park 6:30-8:30
The Oak Island Concert Series is here to
liven up your summer nights! The concerts
start at 6:30 pm and feature some great
beach and rock and roll music–perfect for
a summer evening! The concert schedule is
posted below.
Concerts will be held at the Middleton Park Soccer Field, located at SE 46th
Street. So grab some beach chairs and
your dancing shoes and come on out! All
concerts are free!
In case of inclement weather, concerts
may be canceled. To check cancellations,
please visit https://oakisland.recdesk.com
or call 910-278-5518.
SCHEDULE:
Friday, August 3 – The Tim Clark Band
Friday, August 10 – Carolina Line Bluegrass Band
Friday, August 17 – Christine Martinez
Band
Friday, August 24, – LaCi
*Thursday, August 30 – Trey Calloway
Band

Local Expertise. Global Exposure.
Winding River Plantation | 1594 Brushwood Court S.E. | Located on the ninth
fairway of Carolina National, this beautiful brick home was built to take full advantage of the golf course vista. This 3 bedroom, 3 bath home includes a first floor master bedroom with en suite bath. The open floor plan is traditional yet offers a modern chefs kitchen that opens to the breakfast room. The gourmet kitchen, including
double ovens, gas cooktop and granite. Formal Living and dining rooms, living room
offers a fireplace and custom built-ins. Both areas open to a spacious sun room deWinding
Plantation
1594 Brushwood
Court
S.E. | $419,900
Located on the ninth
signed
for easyRiver
entertaining
with| access
from both
areas.

fairway of Carolina National, this beautiful brick home was built to take full advantage of the golf course vista. This 3 bedroom, 3 bath home includes a first floor master bedroom with en suite bath. The open floor plan is traditional yet offers a modern chefs kitchen that opens to the breakfast room. The gourmet kitchen, including
$799,900double ovens, gas cooktop and granite. Formal Living and dining rooms, living room
a fireplace
476 Deepoffers
Water
Drive SEand custom built-ins. Both areas open to a spacious sun room designed
for •easy
entertaining with access from both areas. $419,900
Bolivia, NC
28422
MLS#100056340

Cool off from the hot summer sun
Try our 65+ craft brews and one of our fresh, made to order salads ....
Shrimp Salad, Chef Salad, Spinach Salad, Caesar Salad, Greek Salad and more... top it with
chicken or blackened shrimp and one of our made from scratch dressings

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

MAGAZINE

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26

th

with CASH Prizes!
OLD AMERICAN FISH COMPANY
150 Yacht Basin Drive, Southport

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

www.SouthportMag.com / AUGUST 2018 / Southport Magazine 29

HISTORIC SOUTHPORT

1023 & 112 North Howe Street
910-457-5258

SOUTH BRUNSWICK OCEAN
ISLE
6818 Beach Drive SW
910-842-1477

OAK ISLAND BEACHES
210 Country Club Drive
910-278-5213

OAK ISLAND

ST. JAMES PLANTATION

SOUTHPORT

WATERFRONT

OAK ISLAND

OCEANFRONT

OAK ISLAND

WATERFRONT

7 PEBBLE BEACH DRIVE

3871 HEARNDON LANE

6158 RIVER SOUND CIRCLE

1617 EAST BEACH DRIVE

6321 WEST BEACH DRIVE

3 bedrooms, 2½ baths
$529,900

3 bedroom, 3 baths
$539,500

3 bedrooms, 2 baths
$460,000

3 bedrooms, 2 baths
$489,900

4 bedrooms, 2 baths
$649,000

SOUTHPORT

SOUTHPORT

OAK ISLAND

OAK ISLAND

OAK ISLAND

5226 WINDLASS ROAD

3913 MEETING PLACE LANE

102 NW 10TH STREET

124 NE 15TH STREET

8 PEBBLE BEACH DRIVE

4 bedrooms, 2 baths
$255,000

3 bedrooms, 3 baths
$310,000

4 bedrooms, 3 baths
$274,900

3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths
$234,900

3 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths
$619,000

OAK ISLAND

OAK ISLAND

OAK ISLAND

CASWELL BEACH

SOUTHPORT

WATERFRONT
212 SELLERS STREET

154 NW 9TH STREET

4013 E PELICAN DRIVE

122 CASWELL BEACH ROAD

6224 PEBBLE SHORE LANE

3 bedrooms, 2 baths
$359,900

3 bedrooms, 2 baths
$249,500

2 bedrooms, 1 baths
$240,000

4 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths
$1,300,000

4 bedrooms, 4 baths
$569,900

30 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

www.MargaretRudd.com

WINDING CREEK

THE PRESERVE

SOUTHPORT

OAK ISLAND

SOUTHPORT

ICW VIEWS
6467 WALDEN POND LANE

3100 MARSH GROVE LANE #3206

5995 GRAY SQUIRREL PATH

137 NW 9TH STREET

998 PETES CAMP DRIVE

3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths
$439,999

2 bedrooms, 2 baths
$249,900

4 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths
$330,000

4 bedrooms, 4 baths
$249,900

3 bedrooms 2 ½ baths
$584,900

OAK ISLAND

SOUTHPORT

SOUTHPORT

SOUTHPORT

SECOND ROW

OAK ISLAND

ON DAVIS CANAL

3208 EAST BEACH DRIVE

6108 TURTLEWOOD DRIVE

616 CLARENDON AVENUE

1108 NORTH CASWELL AVE.

9 WHITE LANE

4 bedrooms, 2 baths
$450,000

4 bedrooms, 3 baths
$410,000

2 bedrooms, 1 bath
$189,000

3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths
$389,000

3 bedrooms, 3 baths
$499,000

OAK ISLAND

ST. JAMESPLANTATION

OAK ISLAND

SOUTHPORT

OAK ISLAND

SECOND ROW
4020 EAST BEACH DRIVE

3793 CLUB COTTAGE LANE

105 NE 78TH STREET

233 EAST 11TH STREET

118 WEST BEACH DRIVE

4 bedrooms, 2 baths
$458,900

4 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths
$443,900

2 bedrooms, 2 baths
$250,000

3 bedrooms, 2 baths
$214,900

5 bedrooms, 5 baths
$798,700

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

www.SouthportMag.com / AUGUST 2018 / Southport Magazine 31

Kitchen

From Dock to Plate

Understanding how soft-shell crabs are processed
STORY AND PHOTOS BY CLAUDIA O’NEILL

A

s we drove down the quarter-mile dirt road, lined with colorful crab pots
and old wooden boats, I gained a real sense of excitement. This story was
going to be my first job as an intern at Southport Magazine. Stephen Phipps, the
owner and Executive Chef at Mr. P’s Bistro offered Kris Beasley and myself the
opportunity to join him in picking up 36 fresh soft-shell crabs for his restaurant.
He recently found a family-owned and operated seafood wholesaler located just
along the Cape Fear River who can provide the restaurant with delicious soft-shell
crabs all year long.

Kris and I pulled up to Mr. P’s Bistro around
eleven o’clock in the morning to ride with
Chef Stephen in his truck. I hopped in the
back with Kris’s camera in my hand and began playing with the lighting and adjusting
the settings so that the photos would look
perfect for the article. The ride took about
45 minutes to downtown Wilmington, where
along the way we stopped for lunch at one of

Chef Stephen’s favorite burger places, Winnie’s Tavern. The place was a small white and
blue building just off of the main road and
was known to have Wilmington’s best burgers around. We each got our own variation of
a delicious mini burger and then continued
on our way to Ingraham’s Crab House.
We made a right down Purl B. Ingraham
Road, named after the owner’s father, where

Come Celebrate our
14th Anniversary with us!

!
a
l
l
e
iao B

C

5177 SOUTHPORT-SUPPLY RD SE

2016

SOUTHPORT MAGAZINE

(910) 454-4540
belladiningnc.com

32 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

The Ingrahams at their Crab House

numerous houses, boats, and crab pots directed us to the end of the driveway where
a pier jetted out over the river. As we pulled
up, I saw Connie and Luke Ingraham sitting
underneath the shaded crab house enjoying
a large slice of watermelon with some friends
and local fishermen. An old, wooden sign
hanging over the entrance caught my eye. In
big letters it read, “Ingrahams Crab House,”
“Capt. Purl Owner.” We hopped out of the
truck and Chef Stephen introduced us to the
Ingrahams, whose smiles were friendly and
welcoming. Right away I smelt the salt water
and live crabs, directing my body to walk towards the woodshed, where six large peeler
tanks were held.
With eyes wide and a grin on my face, I
stepped onto the wooden plank and leaned
over the first tank I saw. In the shallow water
were dozens of blue crabs, ranging from small
to large in size. I wanted to reach my hand in,
but was afraid of getting pinched. Mr. Ingraham quickly came to my side and picked out
the largest crab in the whole tank. The crab
had massive blue pincers and looked quite
different from the rest. Mr. Ingraham explained to me that 95% of soft-shell crabs are
females and that the one he had squirming in
his hand was a larger male blue crab. “How
can you tell the difference between the males
and the females?” I asked eagerly. Mr. Ingraham smiled and flipped the male crab over in
his hands. Underneath was an “apron,” which
is a flap that indicates the sex of the crab.
Male blue crabs, known as “Jimmies,” have
a long, pointy apron like the one shown in
the photo. They also have big blue pincers,
whereas the females have red. He placed the
male crab back into the tank and grabbed
two more, smaller sized females. He flipped
them both over and I found myself in slight
confusion; the two female crabs had different
shaped aprons. Similar to humans, there are
immature, or adolescent, female crabs and

then there are mature, adult crabs. The immature females had a V-shaped apron, which
could not open until she peeled her hard
shell and was ready to mate. The mature female crabs, however, had a U-shaped apron,
which could open to mate and in the future,
carry eggs.
Intrigued, and interested to hear more, I
asked Mr. Ingraham about how he got into
the crab business. He told me that his father
was a crab fisherman all his life and taught
him everything he knows. He is the second
youngest child out of six siblings and is the
only one to carry on the crabbing tradition.
He and his wife have been in the crabbing
industry for 40 years now. I looked around
to take in what the Ingrahams had accomplished, when all of a sudden Mr. Ingraham
motioned me to look his way. In his hand
was a female peeler crab, coming out of her
hard-shell. Kris and I looked at one another
with fascination in our eyes and leaned in
to get a closer look. Curiously, I reached my
hand forward and rubbed over the newly ex-

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

KITCHEN
posed soft-shell. My jaw dropped slightly as
Mr. Ingraham mumbled, “soft as a pillow.” I
couldn’t believe the difference in texture between the two shells on the crab’s body. Mr.
Ingraham informed us that blue crabs peel
their hard shells every week and double in
size when they come out. This is one major
reason why the crabbing business is such
hard work; Mr. and Mrs. Ingraham check on
the crabs every hour to two hours. The reason for this is because once a crab is out of
it’s hard-shell, they’ll quickly start developing
a paper shell, which only takes them roughly
eight hours to become fully hard again. As
soon as the crabs are out of their shells, they
are taken to the refrigerator to be distributed
to a wholesaler, like Mr. P’s Bistro.
To my right, Chef Stephen leaned up
against one of the peeler tanks. He was enjoying a large slice of watermelon that Mrs.
Ingraham had so generously offered him. She
told Kris and I that she and her husband start
their morning every day at four so that they
can get out onto the river to check on the
crab pots from the night before. They are
outside all day and do not end their workday
until ten o’clock every night. They said that
the best way to catch the most crabs is to put
a male in each pot to attract the females who
are ready to mate or are looking for protection. I nodded and slowly glanced out toward
the river, where I spotted the white, wooden
boat they take out every morning and evening to catch the blue crabs. The dock was
long and I could see now that there were
about 20 more peeler tanks along the side of
the crab house and hundreds of colorful crab
pots sitting by the waterside. I took the view
in with a deep breath and admired the work
of the Ingrahams. They informed us that the
lot they were currently on was bare when Mr.
Ingraham’s father, Purl, bought it years ago.
And now, standing here on their beautiful
dock, they are known as the biggest soft-shell
crab wholesaler in New Hanover County.
They took us back through the crab house
where we said hello to the other fishermen
talking and enjoying some nice cold sodas
on this hot day. They were concerned about
the heat and how it’s expected to be getting
worse over the next few weeks. I imagined
how hot they would be working everyday
from dawn till dusk for the remaining of the
summer. We made our way towards the truck
as Chef Stephen grabbed his two boxes of
live, soft-shell crabs, all lined up in perfect
rows. I thanked the Ingrahams for taking the
time to teach Kris and me about the soft-shell
crabs as I climbed back into Chef Stephen’s
truck. I “wooed” at feeling the air conditioning kick on as we pulled off of the dirt road
and on to the two-lane pavemented street. I
felt like I had so many more questions I wanted to ask, but fortunately, the fun for the day
was not over yet.
Within 45 minutes we were back at Mr. P’s

Bistro, ready to watch Chef Stephen cook up
some delicious soft-shell crabs for Kris and
me. We entered the kitchen, where Chef
Stephen and his team put in hours of hard
work into creating delightful and fresh, low
country cuisines for their guests. With just an
hour and a half until the restaurant opened,
Chef Stephen put on his apron and began
doing what he loves most. With a handful of
ingredients, he explained to Kris and me the
process of creating two exceptional ways to
enjoy soft-shell crabs, as we had never had
one before. The first dish was a sautéed, softshell crab on a bed of spinach, topped with
fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and seasoned
with balsamic vinaigrette. This one was my
personal favorite, while Kris really enjoyed
the fried soft-shell crab, which was paired by
a Cajun corn maque choux and topped with
some micro greens. As Chef Stephen placed
both entrées onto the table, I did not hesitate to cut right into the soft-shelled crabs,
eating the entire thing from its crunchy claws
to its meat-filled body.
After leaving Mr. P’s Bistro with a full stomach, a dozen of Chef Stephen’s fresh eggs,
and a slice of lemon-blueberry cheesecake,
I felt extremely blessed to have experienced
everything that I had in just one day. From
the ocean to the dock to the dinner plate,
both the Ingrahams and Chef Stephen have
worked long and hard to create the success
that they have achieved by delivering premium soft-shell crabs and creating exceptional entrées for the people of Southport. I
really admire Chef Stephen’s commitment in
driving to Wilmington twice a week to offer
his customers a unique dinning experience,
providing only the best and freshest softshelled crabs among the many other seafood
options at Mr. P’s Bistro. This magical experience made the crabs taste that much better
and I can confirm that there are no other softshell crabs like these anywhere else down in
the south.
If you would like to enjoy the full experience of Chef Stephen cooking the soft-shell
crab entrées, a video is available on our website at: http://www.southportmag.com.
VIDEO LINK HERE

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

— OPEN EVERYDAY—

www.SouthportMag.com / AUGUST 2018 / Southport Magazine 33

Find your piece of heaven on
the southern coast...
Brunswick County offers the dream of classic southern coastal living and exceptional value.
Second home or primary residence, our agents can help you find your new relaxation station.
DOING MORE FROM FOR SALE TO SOLD. That’s the sign of a RE/Max agent.™

$159,900

$771,000

$514,900
3
3,157

3

2

1,234

3

BED

BATH

SQ FT

BED

BATH

SQ FT

$399,900

3

4

3,098

3

3

3,309

BED

BATH

SQ FT

BED

BATH

SQ FT

64 CEDAR ROAD | SOUTHPORT

3556 E MEDINAH AVENUE | SOUTHPORT

3196 MOSS HAMMOCK WYND | SOUTHPORT

3672 PLAYERS CLUB DR SE | SOUTHPORT

$489,900

$259,900

$394,000

$412,500

3

3

2,746

BED

BATH

SQ FT

3888 RIDGE CREST DRIVE | SOUTHPORT

Artur
Bajak

Jerry
Biffle

Bill
Carmichael

3

3

2,116

3

5

3,294

3

2

1,818

BED

BATH

SQ FT

BED

BATH

SQ FT

BED

BATH

SQ FT

302 BLOUNTS BAY COURT SE | BOLIVIA

Robert
Carroll

4116 S LAGOON COURT | SOUTHPORT

Sharon
Cox

John
Dorazio

Donna
Findlay

Jeannette
Hileman

108 SE 14TH STREET | OAK ISLAND

Pam
Lawrence

Jan
LeFrancois

Gail
Lendvoyi

Broker/REALTOR

Broker/REALTOR

Broker/REALTOR

Broker/REALTOR

Broker/REALTOR

Broker/REALTOR

Broker/REALTOR

Broker/REALTOR

Broker/REALTOR

Broker/REALTOR

Broker/REALTOR

(704) 254-7020

(910) 294-1601

(910) 477-0388

(910) 465-2717

(919) 244-7854

(703) 906-6056

(910) 269-3049

(910) 523-6371

(910) 233-3333

(720) 373-4479

(910) 444-1000

34 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

www.SouthportMag.com / AUGUST 2018 / Southport Magazine 35

COVER COMPETITION

Local Talent Wows!
Cover competition entries showcase

RUNNER UP

STORY BY LISA STITES

W

e can’t believe it’s been a whole year already since our last
cover art contest. We love to invite you into the magazine by
giving us your beautiful artwork to grace the cover. It sounds trite,
but it really is true - we had a hard time picking just one this year.
But after much consideration, we decided on the colorful abstract
of the Southport Waterfront by Linda Drye. It captures the beauty
and vitality of the waterfront we all love, and we hope you adore it
as much as we do. Thanks to all who submitted entries - we really
appreciate your work and wish we had room for everyone!

www.MargaretRudd.com
Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

www.SouthportMag.com / AUGUST 2018 / Southport Magazine 43

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Get Your Raffle
Tickets!

CIS Supply Drive

Preparing kids for success: Donations for
back to school items in full swing

John Smith Cemetery needs your support.

C

WIN! TWO GIFT BASKETS
Each with a value of over $300 in merchandise and gift cards
RAFFLE TICKETS PRICES:
$3 for 1 ticket, $5 for 2 tickets, $10 for 5
tickets, $15 for 10 tickets, $20 for 20 tickets
RAFFLE DRAWINGS will be held
Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 3, 2018)
You do not have have to be present to
win. To purchase tickets:
*Southport Waterfront Market, Garrison
Lawn, every Wednesday 8:00 -1:00
*Adventure Kayak Company, 807 N

How to donate
The supply list items that are needed include: back packs, spiral notebooks
(college ruled), loose leaf paper (college
ruled), #2 pencils and erasers, colored
pencils, dry erase markers, blue or black
ink pens, two 3 inch – 3 ring binder, dividers for 3 inch binders, headphones or earbuds, and pencil pouches for binders.
Any item from the supply list can be donated. Businesses and individuals can also
donate money that will be used specifically
to purchase needed school supplies. “CIS

ommunities In Schools of Brunswick County and CIS Thrift
Shops are hosting the annual “CIS Back to School Supply
Drive” during August. Supplies will be collected at all CIS Thrift
Shop locations in Brunswick County and the CIS main office in
Southport beginning August 1.

Back to School Supply Drive” donations
can be dropped off at any CIS Thrift Shop
location or the CIS main office located at
the Duke Media Center on River Road in
Southport.
We will deliver the donated supplies to
schools in early September to help students start the school year off right. CIS of
Brunswick County is helping local students
stay in school and succeed!
For more information, call (910) 8323494 or email tbeane@cisbrunswick.org.

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Flat Fish invasion
Just in time for SUMMER!

WINNER

Colorfully glazed plaques, ready to hang in a Man Cave or Beach Cottage.
Handbuilt with loads of personality, making each one truly unique.

SOUTHPORT MAGAZINE

2016

SOUTHPORT MAGAZINE

Handcrafted Pottery
EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE AT

THE PAINTED MERMAID
817 N Howe Street
Southport

w w w. B l u e E a r t h Wo r k s . c o m

SUMMER BREAK MAY BE THE BEST TIME TO
TAKE CARE OF THAT NAGGING WISDOM TOOTH!
With deep IV sedation, financing options and new technology to not only greatly reduce the incidence of pain
and prevent dry sockets, but speed healing dramatically. New state-of-the-art facility opening soon!
Plan your Summer appointment today. All insurances filed.

910-269-2420
Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

location on the Fort Johnston Garrison
Lawn overlooking the Cape Fear River
is a treat in itself. You can browse the
beautiful local produce, baked goods,
and handcrafted items spread under
ancient live oak trees. There is a breeze
off the river as well as music in the air as
entertainment is always available. For
more information, http://www.downtownsouthport.org/

AUGUST 1ST

WINE RACK - AMI BROWN ART
OPENING

Join us and celebrate a new art show
by Ami Brown. 5:30-7:30pm, Wine
Rack, Howe & Brown St. Southport.

MARITIME

August 1 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm, NC
Maritime Museum at Southport, Little
Mariners Programs, Each Little Mariner camp includes reading time and a
hands-on activity that students make
and will take home. Through music,
art, and history, your Little Mariner will
be introduced to the maritime world
in a fun and engaging way. Each child
must be accompanied by a caregiver.

August 1 Southport Waterfront Market @ 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, The Southport Waterfront Market is held every
Wednesday morning from 8 a.m. until
1 p.m., May 2 through August 29. The

Remember ‘50s and ‘60s Rock and
Roll, 7:30 pm, Amuzu Theatre 111 N
Howe St, Southport. Our annual rock
and roll show is back this August with
an all-new selection of music. Show
dates are August 3,4, 23, 24, 25 at 7:30
and August 5, 26 at 3:00. Tickets are
$20 cash or check made out to Amuzu
Theatre. They are available at Color

2017 Winners

Me Carolina, just before the old bridge
going to Oak Island and at Ricky Evans
Art Gallery in downtown Southport.
For more information you can call Bill
at 910-523-2552

AUGUST 3

First Friday Gallery Walk, @ 5:00 pm 7:00 pm The first Friday of each month
art galleries in the Southport area team
up to promote a Gallery Walk. Art enthusiasts are welcome to participate in
this cultural event each first Friday from
5:00 PM –7:00 PM.

@ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm, NC Maritime
Museum at Southport, Little Mariners
Programs, Each Little Mariner camp
includes reading time and a hands-on
activity that students make and will
take home. Through music, art, and
history, your Little Mariner will be introduced to the maritime world in a fun
and engaging way. Each child must be
accompanied by a caregiver.

40th Annual

US Open King
Mackerel Tournament

October 4th-6th, 2018
Southport Marina, Southport, NC

www.usopenkmt.com • 910-457-5787
Guaranteed Prize Structure.
Not Based on Number of Boats.
All Cash Prizes with $25,000 First Place
An Event of the Southport Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce

LIVE MUSIC

THE FIRST 425 BOATS REGISTERED RECEIVE A
SPECIAL INSULATED FISH BAG

46 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

August 8 Southport Waterfront Market @ 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, The Southport Waterfront Market is held every
Wednesday morning from 8 a.m. until
1 p.m., May 2 through August 29. The
location on the Fort Johnston Garrison
Lawn overlooking the Cape Fear River
is a treat in itself. You can browse the
beautiful local produce, baked goods,
and handcrafted items spread under
ancient live oak trees. There is a breeze
off the river as well as music in the air as

entertainment is always available. For
more information, http://www.downtownsouthport.org/

Flea Market at Old Southport Village
Shoppes @ 8:00 am - 3:00 pm, 1102 N
Howe St, New and Fun! Clean out that
garage or storage unit…load up your
crafts and other wares and have some
fun selling them in our unique, one-ofa-kind village right in Southport directly behind Smokehouse BBQ.

AUG 9, 16, 23

THE WILMINGTON JEWISH FILM
FESTIVAL

The 3rd summer series on three
Thursdays in August at historic Thalian
Hall. On Thursday, August 9 at 7 pm,
the series opens with the drama, Academy Award winning “Ida” winner of the
Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film
in 2015 along with a nomination for
Best Achievement in Cinematography.
The second Thursday, August 16,
features the acclaimed “Bombshell:
The Hedy Lamarr Story” chronicling
the life and career of the beautiful and
glamorous film actress. This current
documentary goes well beyond her
noted movie career and has played to
rave reviews nationwide.
The Summer series concludes on
Thursday, August 23, featuring the
comedy “The Band’s Visit” from Israel,
originally released in 2007. Adapted as
a play, the Broadway version based on
this film won 10 Tony awards including
Best Musical earlier this year. The original film is a gem on its own, and was
highly lauded when first released.
“This summer’s films are a great way
to get a break from the heat,” says
Festival Chair Debbie Smith. “We have
award-winning choices that include a
drama, a documentary and a comedy, a
great summer package for all to enjoy.”
The Wilmington Jewish Film Festi-

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

CALENDAR
val is in its 5th year and has hosted a
summer series for the past two years to
compliment the principal festival offerings in the spring.
As in past years, all summer films are
at 7 pm, presented on the Main Stage
at historic Thalian Hall. Tickets for general admission are $10 and $7 for students with ID and active military. plus
preservation fee and tax. Additional
information is available at www.wilmingtonjff.org.
Tickets are on sale at www.thalianhall.org/events. To avoid an online fee,
call the Thalian Hall Box Office at (910)
632-2285 or purchase tickets in person
at the Box Office, 310 Chestnut Street,
Wilmington, NC. Box office hours are
Monday through Saturday from 2-6
PM.

erates at 8 am-1 pm on Mondays from
May 21st to September 3rd at the Middleton Park Soccer Field (46th Street/
Dolphin Drive). Vendors will be selling
produce, baked goods, handmade
crafts and more. Parks and Rec Department 910-278-5518

history, your Little Mariner will be introduced to the maritime world in a fun
and engaging way. Each child must be
accompanied by a caregiver.

AUGUST 15

Southport Waterfront Market @ 8:00
am - 1:00 pm, The Southport Waterfront Market is held every Wednesday
morning from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., May
2 through August 29. The location on
the Fort Johnston Garrison Lawn overlooking the Cape Fear River is a treat
in itself.

AUGUST 16

Southport Coalition Launches Inaugural County Care Fair Partners
of the Brunswick Wellness Coalition
and Walmart work together to offer
health services to county residents.
The Brunswick Wellness Coalition
(BWC) is launching its inaugural County
Care Fair, rotating between the three
Walmart locations in Brunswick Coun-

ty as follows; Monday, July 16, Leland,
Thursday, August 16, Southport, Tuesday, September 18, Shallotte. The fair
will take place at each location from 5
to 8 p.m. and will offer a wide range
of health screenings, education and
kid-friendly activities. There will also
be grocery store tours and giveaways.
Contact: Lindsay Maher, LindsayMaher@dosher.org, 910-444-1872

@ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm, NC Maritime
Museum at Southport, Little Mariners
Programs, Each Little Mariner camp
includes reading time and a hands-on
activity that students make and will
take home. Through music, art, and

August 17, Southport Friday Night
Movies, ‘Paddington 2’, sunset, Fort
Johnston Garrison Lawn – free. Bring
your chair and some popcorn and enjoy a movie under the stars every third
Friday, June through October on the
Fort Johnston Garrison Lawn.

@ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm, NC Maritime
Museum at Southport, Little Mariners
Programs, Each Little Mariner camp
includes reading time and a hands-on
activity that students make and will
take home. Through music, art, and
history, your Little Mariner will be introduced to the maritime world in a fun
and engaging way. Each child must be
accompanied by a caregiver.

MARKET

August 22 Southport Waterfront
Market @ 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, The
Southport Waterfront Market is held
every Wednesday morning from 8 a.m.
until 1 p.m., May 2 through August 29.
The location on the Fort Johnston Garrison Lawn overlooking the Cape Fear
River is a treat in itself.

11th Annual Anniversary Party at
Cattail Cottage 10am-6pm, 122 N
Howe St Southport We will have Specials, Refreshments and Giveaways!
Be sure to Save the Date and bring a
Friend!

AUGUST 22

Historic Happy Hour Enjoy beer and
wine on the Old Baldy grounds while
having an intimate Curator tour of The
Smith Island Museum of History. History Happy Hour will take place on the
4th Wednesday of every month from
5:30- 7 pm. Each month will explore
a different topic of Bald Head Island
History. Included in your reservation is
admission into the Museum along with
beer and wine. Spots are limited! $15
per person.

Southport Waterfront Market 8:00
am - 1:00 pm, The Southport Waterfront Market is held every Wednesday
morning from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., May
2 through August 29. The location on
the Fort Johnston Garrison Lawn overlooking the Cape Fear River. For more
information,
http://www.downtownsouthport.org/

OAK ISLAND FARMER’S MARKET,
@ 8:00 am – 1:00 pm, Middleton
Park Extension, SE 46th St & E Dolphin
Dr, Oak Island CONTACT: 910-2785518 Every Monday from May 21st
through September 3rd, 2018 come
out and get the best Oak Island has to
offer. The market goes from 8 am to 1
pm. The Farmer’s Market takes place
at Middleton Park Extension -Oak Island Soccer Field 49th Street, SE Oak
Island, NC 28465. For more information, you can contact the Town of Oak
Island at 910-278-5518.

WEDNESDAYS

SOUTHPORT MARKETS

Every Wed from 8am - 1pm, May to
Labor Day. Garrison Lawn.

THURSDAYS

SOUTHPORT SUMMER CONCERTS
– Thursdays in the Park
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Concerts will be
held at the Franklin Square Park located at 130 East West Street, Southport,
NC. So grab some beach chairs and
your dancing shoes and come on out! ,

Aug. 3 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm, The
first Friday of each month art galleries
in the Southport area host a Gallery
Walk. Art enthusiasts are welcome to
participate in this cultural event each
first Friday from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

Harper Library, 109 West Moore
Street Southport - Join us for a variety
of topics, Every Wednesday 10am-11,
and Thursdays 2pm-3:30pm.

MARITIME PROGRAM

EVERY THIRD THURSDAY OF EACH
MONTH, NC Maritime Museum Adult
Program , 223 E Bay Street Southport
7pm to 9pm, Join fellow history buffs
for an evening of educational discussion about NC maritime history.

CLEAN UP OUR TOWN!

“It’s our town – let’s clean it up!”
Join your Southport neighbors in regular cleanups on the first Saturday of
each month, from 9am – noon. Meet
at the old jail annex at the corner
of Rhett and Nash streets at 9am.
No need to bring anything but your
energy and good intentions – all tools
and supplies are provided by the City
of Southport. Please call 612.202.8541
for more information and to get on the
Southport Beautification Committee’s
email notification list.

Rotary funded organizations. Be sure
to save some energy for the lakeside
finish line. There are prizes for top finishers & BEST SPLASH!

SEPT 14-15

PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL

Up Your Arts and the City of Southport are happy to announce the return
of plein air to our beautiful town. In
keeping with previous outdoor painting festivals, a picture-perfect experience is guaranteed, with no end to the
variety of delightful scenes just waiting
to be captured on canvas. The festival
will take place rain or shine September
14-15.
The 2018 Southport Plein Air is open
to all painters, regardless of age. It
is a non-juried event, with merit and
People’s Choice awards conferred by
established local artists. Winners will
be registered in the 2019 Southport
Plein Air Festival free of charge. There
is no limit on medium, quantity or size.
Painters retain all proceeds from the
sale of their work during the wet paint
sale. For more information or to register: www.upyourrarts.org.

at Old Southport Village Shoppes,
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm More info www.facebook.com/OldeSouthportVillageShoppes

NUCLEAR PLANT INFO

The Information Center will be open
this summer. The current schedule is
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following
dates (Thursdays): Aug . 9, Aug. 23

At Merry Maids, we know precisely, meticulously, immediately, always the kind of
clean you mean. You will receive the highest level of professional care. From the
consultation to the expert cleaning and the follow-up, be com pletely satisfied every
step of the way. Guaranteed.

Ready for a professional cleaning?
Call us today! 910. 762.6503

$100 Off

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

office4674@merrymaids.net

$20 off your first 5
weekly cleanings.

New or former customers only. Can't be combined with any other offer
or discount. Additional restrictions may apply. Offers are non-transferable
Cash value 1/100 of 1 cent. Services provided by independently owned
an operated franchises or corporate-owned branches. Employment hiring
and screening practices may vary. Please contact your local Merry Maids
office for more details.

Organized by the Southport Rotary Club, this family
friendly event promotes health and wellness in our community. Once again, the majority of the proceeds from
this year’s event will benefit New Hope Clinic’s charitable
healthcare programs, as well as for other Rotary funded
organizations.

Lines in the water at 7 a.m. Weigh in from 3-4 p.m. at Southport Marina.
Awards following weigh-in.

Divisional Prizes:

Overall (Largest Combined Weight) – $1000

Largest Flounder – $800

Largest Red Drum – $800

2nd Place Flounder -- $500

2nd Place Red Drum -- $500

3rd Place Flounder – $300

3rd Place Red Drum – $300

Last Place Flounder – $300

Last Place Red Drum – $300

Lady Angler – Day Spa Pass

Junior Angler – Rod/Reel and Cast Net.

Senior Angler (62+) - TBD
Special Weight Prizes: TBD
Each Participant is only eligible for one divisional prize listed above. In the event that there are no
Redfish weighed prize money will be reallocated into the flounder division.

Entry Fee: $60/Person—Employees, Friends and Family Welcome
All Proceeds benefit the United Way of the Cape Fear
Tournament within a Tournament (TWT): $20 - Flounder, $20 - Redfish
(Payout for TWT will be 60% for 1st, 30% for 2nd & 10% for 3rd Largest Fish)

50 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

DINING GUIDE
Italian Style Shrimp - MMM Good!

Check out the Dining Guide and what delicious food the local area has to offer!
Featuring Southern classics :fried pickles, shellfish steam pots to global dishes like Italian meat
antipasto and Mediterraneans shrimp and grits.

305 N. Howe St., Southport
208-520-2490
Doc Meridian is a local wine shop and winery
located in Southport, NC launching in the fall of
2017. We will be serving and selling great wine
in NC.

GRAPE AND ALE

8521 E. Oak Island Dr. Oak Island,
910-933-4384
Quaint and eclectic store offering a large selection of wines, beers, and spirits. Perfect for
either relaxation or for on the go! Tastings on
Fridays 5-8pm,

Shrimp sautéed with garlic, pancetta, roasted red peppers, in a white MODERN AMERICAN
SILVER COAST WINERY
wine sauce with a touch of lemon - a special offered by Castucci’s An THE LIVE OAK ON HOWE
105 S. Howe St. Southport,
614 N. Howe St.Southport, 910-620-4541
Italian Joint on Long Beach Rd.
Full Service Catering and Event Venue. Pair- 910-777-5151

SEAFOOD SPECIALTY
M DEAD END SALOON & FISH
FACTORY GRILLE

4907 Fish Factory Rd., Southport
910-454-4002
www.thedeadendsaloon.com
Known for real Maryland crab cakes and
Cream of Crab soup and offering fresh, local
seafood specials along with great entrees, nachos, cheddar fries, and more. Located on the
Intracoastal Waterway with slips for docking and
a beautiful view, including sunsets. We belong to
the NC Offering fine steaks, from filet mignon to
flat iron, and fresh seafood, from lobster to crab
cakes, with attentive service.

Let us help you
achieve the
lawn of your
dreams!
• Custom Water Features
• Landscape &
Hardscape Design
• Maintenance

We work hard, so
you don’t have to!

DUFFER’S PUB AND GRILL

928 Caswell Beach Rd.Oak Island
910-278-9299 www.oakislandgolf.com
Located at the scenic Oak Island Golf Club,
the grill serves up premier burgers and wraps,
as well as entrees from prime rib to salmon.

601 Ocean Drive, Oak Island, 910-278-7725
Oceanfront dining and entertainment that is
easy on the wallet and hard to forget. Tiki bar,
arcade with two pool tables and plenty of seating to host your work, friend or family fun!

LOCAL’S FAMILY DINER

832 N. Howe St., Southport 910-457-0444
www.localsfamilydiner.com
With a warm and friendly atmosphere, Local’s
Family Diner serves breakfast all day long and a
seafood and entrée menu for lunch and dinner.

111 S. Howe St., Southport
910-457-7017
www.trollystophotdogs.com
A staple in NC, Trolly Stop is renowned across
the nation for its one of a kind hot dogs.

M TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ

1671 N. Howe St. #1A, Southport
910-363-4908
www.tropicalsmoothiecafe.com
Bold, flavorful food and smoothies with a
healthy appeal. Our items are made to order
with fresh, simple, superior ingredients.

www.bestbbqonthebeach.com
Hormel ribs are slow d in house and meats
are offered with a variety of sauces, from Eastern NC vinegar to Lexington-style red.

116 N. Howe St., Southport, 457-4544
www.portsofcallbistro.com
Offering choices that are largely influenced by dishes from across the globe.
Menu items and specials can whisk your palette from Casablanca to Barcelona, Santorini
to Mumbai, and from Marseilles to Munich
or Charleston. Finish with a fresh baked dessert in the romantic atmosphere.

6324 East Oak Island Drive.
Family-owned and operated. Featuring 16
flavors of ultra-premium, homemade ice cream.
We use only dairy from grass-fed North Carolina cows and never add artificial flavors or colors.i

Guests write checks and fill out pledge cards at a
Dosher Foundation fundraising event in June.

During the July Coffee with the Girls, Teresa Leggett Carroll, Edward Jones Financial
Advisor shared some advice on how to begin the process of answering these questions
and it starts with a monthly budget. She stated that everyone needs to create and maintain
a monthly budget; attendees were given a sample budget and a “homework assignment”
to fill it out and start the budget process. Teresa also shared that while planning for your
financial future as early as you can is great, it is never too late to start so don’t be discouraged if you are “late to the game”.
The next Coffee with the Girls will be held at 8:00am on Tuesday, August 21st at Wells
Insurance, 1418 North Howe Street, Southport.

Inspirations Dance Centre Small Business of the Year
Congratulations Inspirations Dance Centre for being the
Southport Oak Island Chamber of Commerce-Welcome
Center Small Business of the Year. Shiloh Ransom, owner
of Inspirations Dance Centre rescued a struggling business
turned it around.

Brunswick County Communities In Schools Thrifts Shops were awarded the
Customer Service Award for their dedication to providing excellent customer
service to all their customers and clients.
54 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

We want your photos!!
Send us your spottings to:
editor@southportmag.com
Include a short blurb too!

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

MARKETPLACE
outdoor living area along the Lockwood
Folly and marsh with private boat slip.
MLS#10053972 Call Renee Yost for
showing at 910-269-1128

REAL ESTATE

105 Park Avenue Marvelous classic
brick ranch in the heart of Southport
featuring Photovoltaic Solar Panels that
sets this lovely home apart from all others. Convenient to the Southport-Fort
Fisher Ferry and downtown shops this
is in an ideal setting to be active or
enjoy a slower pace. You will feel an
immediate sense of tranquility once
you step inside with natural sunlight
beaming on the true hardwood flooring
throughout. In addition to being impeccably maintained there is a comfortable
flow from the kitchen and dining area
overlooking the Carolina Room to the
living area and three bedrooms of the
home. Much care has been given to the
fabulous yard with beautiful flowers
along the new brick walkway and towering handsome shade trees. $264,500
MLS #100122428 Call Sally Stidham,
Southport Realty, Inc., (910) 540-8320

4801 Beech Tree Drive JUST REDUCED! You will love this gorgeous
2-story home supremely located minutes from the Oak Island beaches and
Historic Downtown Southport. This
home is located on a serene cul-desac, just steps away from a tranquil
pool and convenient boat storage yard.
Relax on the back deck in this private,
fenced in back yard complete with an
outdoor shower and storage building
. Don’t miss this gem in the Carolina
Place neighborhood of Southport!
$199,000 • MLS #100107830 Call
Brian Deutsch, Southport Realty, Inc.,
(910) 457-7676.

4035 Brick Path Lane UNBEATABLE
PRICE AND LOCATION!! Over $25,000
of improvements invested in the past
year. Arbor Creek is an intimate community of just over 300 single family
properties close to beaches, between
ILM and Myrtle airports. Completely
renovated, bright and clean home now
available in the popular Southport area.
Features include all NEW Flooring, all
FRESHLY painted walls & ceilings, newer HVAC, landscaped with fenced back,
and oversized paved driveway,on cul
de sac. Private and quiet back yard with
patio, and water feature.. $209,000 •
MLS #100117224 Call Sherol Lappala,
Southport Realty, Inc., (910) 363-7422

1014 Softwind Way 3 The Hammocks at Southport combines excellent construction and location in one
wonderful package. These are true
custom homes, with all the highend finishes and details you would
expect. Convenient to everything,
including downtown, the waterfront,
ferry, shops and restaurants. Choose
a home already completed or under
construction, or choose one of 7 beautiful floor plans and customize to your
own tastes. This plan is the Lighthouse,
with 2210 SF of easy-flow, convenient
living on the ground floor, & 390 SF
bonus room. The kitchen overlooks the
spacious living room with tray ceiling.
The master bedroom is located just off
the living room and features a walk-in
tiled shower and double vanities. Two
remaining bedrooms share a hall bath.
Covered porches front & rear. Come see!
$199,900 • MLS #100097053 Call
Pam Hayes, Southport Realty, Inc.,
(910) 232-6130, to view today!

225 NE 36th Street Charming Oak
Island bungalow tucked under a canopy
of trees - and you will love the screened
porch! Just a short distance to the ICW
and close to the 40th Street beach access and 55th street public boat ramp,
this 3 bedroom, 2 bath home has an
open floor plan with a woodburning
fireplace and large walk-in pantry. The
large laundry room has washer/dryer
hook-ups as well as a laundry sink. It is
situated on two lots and has a detached
over-size 1-car garage. Perfect home,
second home, or investment property.
New heat pump and ductwork 2017.
Start living the coastal life today!.
$235,000 • MLS #100123091 Call
Katherine Hufham, Southport Realty
Inc., (910) 470-4045.

1815 Baywater Court, Bolivia
WATERFRONT – Winding River Plantation – Immaculate, move-in ready,apprx. 3700 sf, 4BD/4.5BA greets you
with its impressive entrance of double
mahogany, leaded glass double doors
which lead you into the foyer. Immediately one will notice the spacious,
entertaining floor plan that flows to the

699 Augustine Drive SW, Supply
Lot has in place PIER,DOCK,BULKHEAD
on two sides and BOAT LIFT. Build your
dream home in the beautiful Coastal
development of Seascape. This lot is
located at the end of quiet cul de sac
with apprx 100 ft waterfront it affords
excellent views along the ICW on to the
Ocean.Community amenities to include
Marina, dock house, boat launch, picnic
area, boat/RV storage, clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools, Fitness Center.
MLS 100091973 Call Renee Yost 910269-1128 to preview

160 Genoes Point Road SW
Lockwood Folly Country Club, Supply WATERFRONT, private dock, boat
lift, BOAT will convey with acceptable
offer. Step into foyer which leads to
formal living area with fireplace and
built ins, formal dining room with
built ins, large chef kitchen with granite and plenty of cupboards opens to
breakfast area and cozy TV-den area.
First floor master bedroom with ensuite bath opens to spectacular Carolina room. First floor oversized media
room will have TV/MEDIA SYSTEM,
furniture to convey with acceptable
offer. MLS#100062730 Call Renee Yost
for showing at 910-269-1128

3375 Channelside Drive, Supply
WATERFRONT – with panoramic views of
the Lockwood Folly River as it opens into
the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic

Ocean. This custom home boasts big
water views from the open living and
dining areas. Large kitchen, huge master bedroom with ensuite bath. From
master there is access to the outside
screen porch with built in hot tub and
large deck. MLS#10062724 Call Renee
Yost for showing at 910-269-1128

122 Caswell Beach Road
Caswell Beach – This home is situated on two lots, with 100 feet of
street frontage and 100 feet of waterway frontage. The house itself has
many remarkable features including
screened and open decks, a hot tub,
2 fireplaces, walls of windows and a
beautiful garden. Listed at $1,300,000
with Margaret Rudd & Associates,
Inc., REALTORS Call Jill Shaver at
(910) 617-1783

6158 River Sound Cir, Southport
A southern, low country, all brick home
with exceptional quality & style in The

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner

Landing. All the bedrooms & a study
are on the ground floor. The master
has a large walk-in closet, a garden tub
and tiled shower. The well sized living
room has 12 foot ceilings, most of the
windows throughout the home have
plantation shutters. The kitchen, with
cherry cabinets & Corian countertops
opens onto a large screened porch. Listed at $460,000 with Margaret Rudd &
Associates, Inc., REALTORS Call Elvira
Gilbert at 910-619-4087

3545 Sanderling Dr SE, Southport
St. James Plantation – This meticulously maintained 3 BR + bonus, 3
½ BA home is on the signature hole
#15 of the Members Club Golf Course
& view of the pond. Sunroom, main
living areas and the master suite with
a coffered ceiling are downstairs with
hardwood and tile floors. Kitchen
has Nnew stainless-steel appliances,
quartz counters Listed at $395,000
with Margaret Rudd & Associates,
Inc., REALTORS Call Elvira Gilbert at
910-619-4087

888 Batton Dr, Boiling Spring Lakes
3 bedroom 2 bath home on a cul-desac in a quiet area surrounded by golf
and nature. It is an open floor plan with
oak floors, new carpet, 1st floor master
and an additional bonus room for added square feet. Listed at $259,000
with Margaret Rudd & Associates,
Inc., REALTORS Call Doug Oldham
910-448-1872

158 NE 19th Street, Southport
3 bedrooms and 1 full baths with 1008
sq. Situated on a high double lot, this
cute classic beach cottage has a direct
view of ICW from porch. The living
area, with the original wood floors,
is open to kitchen and dining. New
roof in 2013 and new compressor to
HVAC in 2016. $219,000 • MLS#
100115691 Call Kay Jolliff of Margaret
Rudd and Associates, Inc., REALTORS at
910-457-5258

105 N Lord Street, Southport
This property was built in 2016 and has
3 bedrooms and 3 full and 1 partial
baths with 2700 sq.ft. Historic Southport
location AND superior quality new construction. The custom gourmet kitchen
features quartz countertops, energy star
appliances and an open breakfast nook.
This is truly an unusual opportunity to live
among the historic homes of Southport in
an energy efficient new home. $699,000
• MLS# 100090901Call Kay Jolliff of Margaret Rudd and Associates, Inc., REALTORS
at 910-457-5258

616 Clarendon Avenue, Southport
Cute Cottage home with a nice walk
or bike to everything you need. This
bungalow features a classic rocking
chair front porch, original wood flooring, private screened porch and a
fenced back yard. $189,000 • MLS#:
100118732 Call Kay Jolliff of Margaret
Rudd and Associates, Inc., REALTORS at
910-457-5258

102 River Drive, Southport, NC
Situated on over 1.25 AC and located
a quick walk to all of downtown Southport. The property has a pier with dock
and boat lift. There’s also a den/flex
space which would be great as an office or studio. The home has a covered
porch area and an expansive open
deck plus a screened porch, giving
you lots of options for outdoor living.
Unfinished basement is 676 square
feet. $1,199,000 • MLS#100117719
Call Kay Jolliff of Margaret Rudd
and Associates, Inc., REALTORS at
910-457-5258

www.SouthportMag.com / AUGUST 2018 / Southport Magazine 55

2018 DISCOVERY

VERSATILITY WITH A VIEW FOR
THOSE THAT ARE NEVER AT REST

Land Rover Cape Fear

Concierge Service

20 Old Eastwood Road,

Vehicle Pickup and Delivery

Wilmington, NC 28403

We Will:

(910) 332-3500

• Come to your work or home

Toll Free (888) 355-3847

• Pick up your car
• Leave you a service loaner

LandroverNC.com

56 Southport Magazine / AUGUST 2018 / www.SouthportMag.com

• Bring your vehicle back when it’s done

Southport Magazine 2016-2017 SOI Chamber Small Business of the Year Winner